During the New Game Plus Expo segment, Nihon Falcom and NIS America showcased new footage ofLegend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4which will be arriving on PlayStation 4 before other platforms. The final chapter in theTrails of Cold Steelsaga launches exclusively on the PS4 on October 27th, 2020 before coming to Nintendo Switch and PC at some point in 2021.
Trailsof Cold Steel 3ended with an infamous cliffhanger, and fans have been clamoring for information on the final chapter ever since. While it lacks the same recognition asFinal Fantasy, Dragon Quest,andPersona,theTrailsseries enjoys a dedicated audience, with “overwhelmingly positive” reviews on Steam and solid scores on Metacritic. It is also has some of themost impressive lore and world-building in the JRPG genre.
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Despite this uniformly positive reception,Trailsis something of a niche franchise, NIS America is a smaller publisher, and as a result,western JRPG releases are never a sure thing. Fans were thrilled—and relieved—to hear that the last installment of theCold Steelsaga would still be arriving later this fall, over two years after the Japanese release of the title. The delay is likely due to the staggering amount of localization required, including hundreds of pages of text, and hours of voice acting, if prior franchise installments are any indication.
The newTrails of Cold Steel 4footageshowed off the heroes of Class 7 squaring off against series protagonist, Rean Schwarzer. Little information is available about what new mechanics, if any, will be coming to the game’s elaborate turn-based combat system,one of the best in the JRPG genre, which already boastsXenogears-style mechs, magic, team attacks, and freedom of movement. NIS promises new minigames and puzzle games will arrive with existing pastimes such as fishing.
Trails isn’t the only storied JRPG franchise to be receiving a western release this fall. A new title in the long-runningYsseries,Ys IX: Monstrum Nox,was also announced at NGPX. While both games have cultivated a devoted fan base, it is unlikely that they will become breakout hits with their latest installments, as each game relies on the continuity of preceding installments, whereas standalone series likeFinal FantasyandPersonaare immediately accessible to newcomers. Fortunately, with some games supportingPS5 to PS4 backwards compatibility confirmed, hopefully these fans can trade up to the next console generation and won’t be left out in the cold.
PC and Switch players are doubtlessly disappointed that they will have to wait even longer to see how the story plays out, especially sincethe Switch is an ideal platform for enjoying JRPGs. But the delay may create opportunities as well. Definitive editions with extra DLC are common for delayed releases, and a bundle or compilation of all the existingCold Steeltitles may also be a possibility.
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 4is coming to PlayStation 4 on Jul 09, 2025, and to Nintendo Switch and PC in 2021.
